Club News

Moorings Complete and Allocated (2019)

All EYC members should have received this message, following successful completion of the moorings maintenance. We are hugely grateful to the Moorings Team who completed the moorings despite the barge This'll Do sinking!

I redacted the names and email addresses for use in the public domain.

Good Morning Everyone, Many thanks to your Moorings Team who have worked so hard to get the moorings ready for this season after the 'great sinking'. Well done everyone. Please read the list with care and contact <EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED> if you have any questions and queries. Xxxx REDACTED.

Hi REDACTED, could you please put out the provisional mooring list that I hope is attached to this e.mail. It is only provisional so there may be some slight changes when the final list goes out. We will allow about a week or so for people to come back to me with any issues before sending the final list out. When we know the depth of water at low springs, we may be able to move another couple of boats over to the inner trot from the lower middle but we dont want to do that until we're sure they won't go aground. Thanks, REDACTED xxxx

This is fantastic news, since it truly marks the beginning of the EYC sailing season for cruisers.

Happy sailing everybody!

Push The Boat Out - big thank you to all the members who turned up today to help out. It made our lives easier to have so many at the Club and it was a pretty smooth process.

The people who came had a lovely time on and off the water, despite the odd rain squall. It was great to see such a mix of people come along to enjoy what we have to offer at the Club

If you're reading this and you tried sailing at EYC on Saturday, then thankyou as well for coming along. It would be great to see you again this coming Friday or any other time we're sailing.

Push The Boat Out day - Come and try Sailing

Erith Yacht Club invites you to come and try Sailing on Saturday 11th of May.

No need to book - simply turn up and register on the day and we will get you out on the water to try sailing.

Do I need to have sailed before?

No sailing experience required! Some of the saltiest sailors in EYC will be on hand to take you sailing. You will be in good hands!

What can I do between outings?

The bar will be open from around lunchtime

What should I wear?

Wear old trainers or shoes you don't mind getting wet. Bring a spare set of clothes in case your arms or feet get damp. We can lend you waterproofs and buoyancy aids.

I want to sail, but I can't make it for the 11th

As a club, we offer beginner courses to both adults and youth and our membership will allow you to continue sailing in safe waters. If you visit the club when we're sailing, there will probably be someone there to take you out on the water in a dinghy or yacht. The best times for this are our Sundowners. You can find these on our Facebook page or sailing calendar

For more information, please contact us by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We hope to see you on the water!

First Sundowner of 2019

Erith Yacht Club held its first Sundowner of 2019 on Friday 12th of April. We do this every Friday evening in summer when the tides are right. Sailors get out on the water from around 6pm until sunset, then head to the clubhouse for a barbeque or some other type of food, and some drinks. The bar is open all evening for people who don't want to sail, and there are usually plenty of people on hand to welcome visitors and new members.

Next Sundowner

Friday April 26th at 6pm. There are rumours of a barbeque...

Get notified of all future sundowners

While on the subject of future events, our calendar has a phenomenally useful secret feature:

- If you use Outlook or some other program that has a calendar, click "Subscribe to Selection"

EYC events should now automatically appear in your personal calendar!

Here's what happened:

The weather was overcast and blowing force 2-3 on the Beaufort scale and the turnout was impressive given the limited daylight. Members either rigged and launched dinghies, or motored or rowed out to their yachts. While the Erith sailors were out doing their favourite activity, a 3 masted tall ship passed through. After an hour or so, they returned to the clubhouse for warm food and cold beverages. We are extremely grateful to Sara and her crew for making the food, Mary for serving drinks, and to the safety boat crew for being on hand in case anyone needed rescue.

Photos:

All the photos I have so far are below. Clicking on each one should open a larger version in a new tab:

Your photos here...

The Saving of the Barge

EYC uses a steel barge named This'll Do to maintain its moorings on the Thames. On March 10th 2019 during ferociously high winds, our moorings barge sank. On the same day, a cruiser broke free from her moorings, and the 5th Brass Monkey race was abandoned. However, club members refloated the barge the following Tuesday in a heroic act of seamanship.

The moorings maintenance effort in ongoing - anyone able to volunteer mid-week would be hugely welcomed.

The following poem by Mick Kemp details the effort:

Author’s note: I hope my good friend Jimmy S will forgive my use of a well-worn stereotype to provide a humorous and wholly fictional climax to the story, which is otherwise (loosely)based on fact. I would also like to assure readers that no Wallet was actually harmed, either in the action described or the making of this poem

On a windy March day, in 2019, when few folk were around

As the tide rolled in towards the shore, The Barge was not to be found

The winds had sent great rolling waves, engulfing her and more

Filling her up with mud and Thames, and pinning her to the floor

That day was the lowest tide of the Springs, and as it fell away,

About six inches of gunnel showed, not much with which to play.

The Boys debated long and hard, what actions might transpire

But all knew well that each new tide would be a little higher.

Nought could be done without a pump, on that they all agreed

And no pump that was big enough could be found with any speed.

So, despite the engine spoiling with the water seeping in

Another fourteen days must pass before work could begin.

But Tuesday morning, bright and clear, a miracle did provide

A change in wind and pressure that produced a lower tide

And Richard B, with a dinghy in tow, wearing a dry suit, too

Saw three proud inches above the ebb on the gunnel of This’ll Do

Quick as light, he saw a chance and, bucket in his hand,

He jumped in and with a cry for help he bellowed to the land.

His call was heard by two more Dicks who joined him in great haste

And soon a Ron, a Jim and Roger, Buckets in hand, gave chase

Now the finest Working steam pump, would be an also –ran

Compared with whirling bucket , in the hands of a frightened man.

That these six men were frightened, none of them sought to hide

For they knew, they’d have to swim for the shore if they failed to beat the tide.